


Moulin Rouge

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon, Ethan Gold Bashing, Michael Novotny Bashing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-08-19
Updated: 2005-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-26 23:10:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12068862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: This is my first fic and itâ€™s based on the film Moulin Rouge and I will try to follow it as closely as I can.  Justin is a poor writer who comes to Paris where he meets the love of his life, Brian, who works as a hustler at the Moulin Rouge.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

Author’s Note: Most of the dialogue was taken directly from the movie so it’s not original but other parts are just the product of my overactive imagination. Also the parts in _ITALICS_ are Justin writing on his typewriter and the parts in **BOLD** are when a character is singing. I’d love to get your feedback so please comment.

* * *

**“There was a boy  
A very strange, enchanted boy  
They say he traveled very far, very far  
Over land and sea  
A little shy and sad of eye  
But very wise was he…  
And then one day  
One magic day  
He passed my way  
And while we spoke of many things  
Fools and kings  
This he said to me…  
‘The greatest thing you’ll ever learn  
Is just to love… and be loved in return.’”**

Justin was pacing in his small, one room apartment. He couldn’t focus on anything but the past. It was flooding over in his mind and he couldn’t escape those painful memories of his lost love. He finally sat down at the typewriter and began to write. He poured over page after page of their love story.

_The Moulin Rouge… a nightclub, the dance hall of the bordello. Ruled over by Debbie and her brother Vic Grassi. A kingdom of nighttime pleasures. Where the rich and powerful came to play with the young and beautiful creatures of the underworld. And the most beautiful of all was the man I loved, Brian, a hustler. He sold himself to men. They called him the “Sparkling Diamond”, and he was the star… of the Moulin Rouge._

Justin hesitates for a moment as the tears well up in his clear blue eyes. He is almost lost in the grief of the past. He finally manages to continue.

_The man I loved is…gone._

A tear falls down Justin’s cheek. He struggles to regain his composure again, it takes him a full minute to regulate his breathing. He take a deep breath then he continues writing.

_I first came to Paris one year ago. It was 1899, the summer of love. I knew nothing of the Moulin Rouge, Debbie and Vic Grassi, or Brian. The world had been swept up in the Bohemian revolution. And I traveled from London to be a part of it. I got off the train filled with excitement and fear. On a hill near Paris was the village of Montmartre. It was not as my father had said, “A village of sin”. It was the center of the Bohemian world with musicians, painters, writers. They were known as the “Children of the Revolution.” Yes, I had come to live a penniless existence. I had come to write about truth, beauty, freedom, and that which I believed in above all things… LOVE._

_My father had often teased me about my seemingly “ridiculous obsession with love!” In fact it was one of the reasons that I had left home, that and the fact that my father couldn’t except the fact that I was gay, so I left home and traveled to this place, where it didn’t matter what you were, gay, straight… they accepted all. So I had come to fulfill my dream of writing and being a great artist, who could so vividly describe all the passions and romance of love. There was only one problem with my plan. I’d never been in love! Luckily, right at that moment an unconscious Argentinean fell through my roof. He was quickly joined by a man dressed as a nun._

The door to Justin’s shabby one room apartment swung open. And a tall dark haired man wearing a nun’s outfit came bursting inside. He quickly introduced himself.

“How do you do? My name is Henri Marie Raymond Emmett- Lautrec Montfa. You can call me Emmett. I’m terribly sorry about all this” He says with lightning speed indicating the unconscious man dangling in the middle of my room. “We were just upstairs rehearsing a play”

Justin muttered a very confused, “What?”

_A play, something very modern called “Spectacular, Spectacular.”_

“And it’s set in Switzerland.” Exclaimed the flamboyant man, Emmett, who had just finished explaining the play to young Justin.

_Unfortunately the unconscious Argentinean, whose name was Ted, suffered from a sickness called Narcolepsy._

Justin then went to examine the unconscious man. The man’s foot had gotten caught on part on the ceiling and was now suspended in air, snoring. The man was sort of plain looking and obviously from south of the border, indicated by his dark skin and Spanish features. Justin turned his focus back to Emmett when he realized the man was speaking to him.

“Poor fellow he’s perfectly fine one moment then suddenly (he snores) unconscious the next.” Emmett explained with a little laugh.

Then from the hole in my roof three other men appeared showing concern over their friend’s current state.

“How is he?” the one on the left asked showing much concern. He was a beautiful man, whose muscular body and handsome features caught my attention immediately. Before Emmett could answer the question the man in the middle, who was also dressed in drag, exclaimed, “How wonderful! The narcoleptic Argentinean is now unconscious. And therefore the scenario will not be finished in time to present to the financiers tomorrow.” The man practically screamed in anger and frustration. This man’s drag was far more elaborate than Emmett’s it seemed he was a drag queen in real life and Emmett was merely dressed up for the play. This queen had long dark hair and way too much make-up on but wasn’t all that bad looking.

“Quick Emmett, I still have to finish the music!” The beautiful man rushed out nervously. The group on the whole seemed to be panicking and was nearly hysterical, until Emmett spoke up.

“Well we’ll just find someone to read the part,” reasoned Emmett.

“Oh where in heavens will we find someone to read the role on the young sensitive Swiss poet Goat herder?” The man in drag said dramatically. Then they all looked over at Justin and he smiled nervously, not quite sure what they had in mind for him.

_Before I knew it, I was upstairs standing in for the unconscious Argentinean._

Upstairs the other man that hasn’t yet spoken was getting into position for the scene. He was young, younger than Justin and kept stealing glances at the beautiful man whose name was Ben. It was pretty obvious by the way the two interacted that they were more than just friends. They were always looking dreamily at one another and stealing touches whenever they thought no one was looking. Then the drag queen gave the cue to start the scene and the young man, whose name was Hunter, got in place while Emmett began to sing in a clear, soft voice.

**“The hills are animated with, the euphonious symphony of descant”**

While the Emmett sang, Ben was playing along on his piano which was not a piano at all. It was an invention that seemed to be a piano plus all other instruments combined, but it also seemed to hold a bar with drinks in it. Justin took a closer look but couldn’t seem to figure out how the whole thing worked before his thoughts were interrupted. The drag queen, Mysterious Marilyn, seemed to get more and more purple in the face as the song went on until she screamed.

“Oh stop, stop, stop, stop that insufferable droning is drowning out my words. Can we please just stick to a little decorative piano?” Mysterious Marilyn said to Ben irritably.

_There seemed to be artistic differences over Mysterious Marilyn’s lyrics to Ben’s songs._

“I don’t think a nun would say that about a hill.” Hunter states in a calm and reasonable voice.

“What if he sings, ‘The hills are vital intoning the descant’?” Ben put his two cents in.

Hunter disagrees, “No, no, no, the hills are…

Suddenly Ted wakes up and violently sits up suggesting firmly, “The hills are incarnate with symphonic melodies.” Then promptly falls back asleep. 

The others brush it off saying it won’t work. They continue to argue over what the words should be. Justin tries to speak up and express his opinion but keeps being drowned out by the others’ bickering. He tries again but is unable to get his voice heard. He then begins to sing loudly and in a beautiful tenor voice

**“The hills are alive with the sound of music!”**

Ted abruptly awakens and jerkily gets up from the bed. He walks toward the group like a robot, very stiffly. “‘The hills are alive with the sound of music!’ I love it!” He approves.

Ben quickly sings, **“The hills are alive with the sound of music”** while playing piano and states, “It fits perfectly!”

**“With songs they have sung for a thousand years”** Justin continued.

All of the Bohemians gasped.

“Incandiferous!” Emmett states vigorously. “Marilyn, you two should write the show together.”

“I beg your pardon?” Marilyn states, obviously upset.

_But Emmett’s suggestion that Marilyn and I write the show together was not what Marilyn wanted to hear._

“GOOD-BYE” Marilyn yells as she storms out of the flat and slams the door.

Everyone in the room cringes as the door slams. Emmett quickly goes to the bar and gets a drink and hoists it up as a toast and states, “To your first job in Paris.” He then quickly downs the drink which is bright green, oblivious to the terrified expression on Justin’s face and the shocked ones on everyone else’s.

Ben pulls Emmett off to the side and seems to express some concern and then very plainly asks Justin, “No offense but have you ever written anything like this before?”

Justin is quick to answer, “No!” Justin is thinking this must be some sort of joke, they wouldn’t want a complete stranger to write a play for them. He had no experience and things were moving awfully fast.

Ted who has recovered from the shock agrees with Emmett and expresses his confidence in Justin’s abilities, “Ah! The boy has talent. I like him.” At this point Ted, who was trying to gesture to Justin, has inadvertently moved his hand to touch Justin’s crotch, he realizes this and pulls his hand away immediately and quickly states embarrassedly, “Nothing funny… I just like talent.” He’s ashamed, he doesn’t even know if Justin is gay. He really hopes that he is though because the first time he saw Justin all he could think was how beautiful he was. Now he feel himself getting red, not only from embarrassment but from sinful thoughts of Justin. The hardening he can feel in his pants is doing nothing to help his current predicament. He desperately hopes that Justin hasn’t seen his growing bulge.

Justin, after getting over the shock and embarrassment he’s feeling, sees the distress Ted is in and gives him a quick smile as if to say “It’s okay I understand.”

Meanwhile Emmett, Ben, Hunter and Ted huddle in a circle talking while Justin tries desperately to overhear and hopefully dissuade this ludicrous idea.

Emmett’s speaking, “‘The hills are alive with the sound of music.’ See Ben, with Justin we can write this truly Bohemian Revolutionary show that we’ve always dreamt of.”

“But how will we convince Debbie and Vic?” Ben asks. He seemed to have warmed up to the idea and was now worried about how they are going to get permission from the bosses.

_But Emmett had a plan._

Emmett whispers, “Brian.”

_They would dress me in Ted’s best suit and pass me off as a famous English writer. Once Brian heard my modern poetry, he would be astounded and insist to Debbie and Vic that I write “Spectacular, Spectacular.” The only problem was I kept hearing my father’s voice in my head saying, “You’ll end up wasting your life at the Moulin Rouge with a can-can dancer.”_

Suddenly panicked Justin hurriedly says, “NO! I can’t write the show for the Moulin Rouge!” He starts to go down the ladder that had been placed in the opening between his apartment and the one above.

He’s stopped by the Bohemians crowding around him while Emmett asks, “Why not?”

“I- I don’t even know if I am a true Bohemian Revolutionary.” Justin stammered.

“Do you believe in beauty?” Emmett asked.

“Yes” Justin answered.

“Freedom?” Hunter asked next.

“Yes, of course.”

“Truth?” Ben asked

“Yes!”

“Love?” Hunter asked.

This one gave Justin pause, as he looked at the man and said passionately, “Love? Love. Above all things I believe in love. Love is like oxygen. Love is a many splendored thing. Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love.” Justin smiles a stupid, but endearing grin.

“See,” Emmett says with a smile. “You can’t fool us! You’re the voice of the Children of the Revolution! You will write the world’s first Bohemian Revolution show!”

_It was the perfect plan. I was to audition for Brian tonight and I would taste my first glass of Absinthe._

All of them downed a glass of the bright green drink and soon after Justin began to see things that weren’t there. A little green fairy was flying around and then spoke to Justin claiming, “I’m the Green Fairy.”

The men suddenly all burst out into song, **“The hills are alive with the sound of music…” FREEDOM…BEAUTY…TRUTH AND LOVE!**

The fairy sings now and is multiplied into a dozen singing fairies, **“The hills are alive with the sound of music!”**

The men continue to party and celebrate into the night.


	2. Moulin Rouge

_We were off to the Moulin Rogue, and I was to perform my poetry for Brian._

The four men entered the Moulin Rogue. Justin looked around in wonder at all the half naked men. He was shocked at some of the things being done in the middle of the dance floor. Men were grinding against each other so hard they looked as if they were about to explode in their pants. Justin immediately became hard as he watched a couple close by slowly bumping and grinding into each other, oblivious to the rest of the world. Just then the younger of the men motioned to a room in the back and the older man eagerly followed him back. Justin moved up to his tip toes to see where they were headed, he caught a glimpse of a whole new room with what looked like stalls and there was a curtain on each one. The two men disappeared into one of these rooms and Justin could only imagine what they were doing to each other. He quickly focused his attention to the rest of the room, he couldn’t stop looking around. This was the first time he had ever seen so many beautiful, half naked men in a room together. His excitement was only heightened by the nervousness he was feeling about auditioning in front of this Brian.

Emmett grabbed Justin’s arm, forcing him out of his lustful daze. Emmett urgently motioned Justin and the others to follow him. He explained that they needed to evade Deb and Vic for the time being and get Justin in to see Brian as soon as his number was done. Emmett left quickly to go and make sure that everything was set up with Brian.

The music struck a new chord and a new dance started. Debbie and Vic came out as part of the number.

_Debbie and Vic Grassi, and their infamous boys. They called them their “Diamond Dogs”._

Boys and Various drag queens begin to file on stage. All the boys are wearing mini tops and low cut, tight, leather pants. The queens are wearing next to nothing in an effort to show off their girlish figures. They all move seductively into place and sing slowly and sexily, 

**“Voulez vous coucher avec moi? Ce soir? Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, flow sister. Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, flow sister.”**

Vic comes center stage. He is an older gentleman who is obviously a business man who is used to dealing with the kind of riff raff this place draws. He seems to enjoy what he’s doing and it’s obvious he’s doing fairly well if the crowd tonight was any indication. He has make- up on, and is looking like a dirty old man, probably not too far from the truth. **“When work’s an awful bore and living’s just a chore that we do ‘cause death’s not much fun. I’ve got the antidote. And though I mustn’t gloat. At the Moulin Rogue… You’ll have fun! So scratch that little niggle, have a little wiggle!”**

Debbie appears right behind him. She’s an elderly lady done up like a prostitute and is overly sexy to the point of being humorous. She has already been dancing with the others on stage and crosses center for her solo,

**“’Cause you can, can, can!”**

The crowd shouts back, **“Yes, you can, can, can!”**

The performers onstage continue, **“Voulez vous coucher avec moi? Ce soir?”**

Debbie and the crowd shout again, **“’Cause you can, can, can!”**

**“Yes, you can, can, can!”**

As the group watched from the side and group of the audience formed a line and all began singing. It was obvious they had been coming here for years and knew enough to take part in the show. Justin tries to back away from the dancing so he can watch and not actually partake, but Emmett, who has appeared out of nowhere, drags him right into the middle of the dance floor. His movements are awkward at first but soon the thumpa thumpa draws him in and his movements become fluid and men step back to watch this beautiful creature dance. The crowd along with Justin joins in the song, shouting,

**“Here we are now, entertain us! We feel stupid and contagious.”**

Vic’s solo continued and he once again had the attention of all in the club.

**“Got some dark desire? Love to play with fire? Why not let it rip? Live a little bit! ‘Cause you can, can, can!”**

The crowd again shouts back, **“Yes, you can, can, can!”**

The song continues and the parts blend and overlap until you can hear anything aside from the thump of the tempo.

**“Here we are now, entertain us!  
But you can’t, can’t, can’t!  
Voulez vous coucher avec moi? Ce soir?  
Yes, you can, can, can!  
If you’re stupid and contagious.  
Outside it may be raining, but in here it’s entertaining!  
‘Cause you can, can, can! ‘Cause you can, can, can!  
Here we are now, entertain us!”**

The whole room suddenly goes quiet as the music is cut and Vic whispers, “The Can-Can” indicating the next dance. The dancers quickly get in their spots and you can feel the anticipation building as the music comes back like thunder.

**“Because we can, can, can  
Because we can, can, can can, can, can can, can, can  
Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, flow sister.  
Gitchie, gitchie, ya ya da da  
Gitchie, gitchie, ya ya here  
Mocha Chocolata ya ya  
Creole Lady Marmalade  
Because we can, can, can  
Because we can, can, can can, can, can can, can, can”**

As the song ends Emmett pulls Justin and everyone away from the dance floor and into a curtained area above the stage. There are tables up here for people to watch the show, each table has it’s own little closed off area so it’s mildly private. 

Once everyone is safely inside the curtain Emmett whispers to Justin, “Mission accomplished. We successfully evaded Debbie and Vic.”

Just as Emmett was finishing the lights dimmed so low that you couldn’t see two feet in front of you. Justin squinted to see what was going on. After a few seconds a spotlight appeared on a swing that was hanging about fifty feet from the ceiling. There was a men seated on this swing, he was dressed for the show in a very provocative suit that didn’t leave much up to the imagination. He was very beautiful, he had well defined muscles but not overly so. He had golden brown hair that positively glowed in the lighting, and liquid hazel eyes that had an intensity in them that frightened and excited all. Justin was in awe of this gorgeous man in front of him. He found that his pants had gotten awfully tight and he was having difficulty breathing. His labored breathing alarmed the others who looked questioningly at Justin who shrugged back unable to make his voice work. His eyes then went back to the creature in front of him, he noticed that the man was having the same effect on most of the spectators, and the man began to do his number to the entranced audience.

Emmett leaned over to Justin and whispered, “It’s him… the Sparkling Diamond!”

Brian slowly began to sing his song, **“The French are glad to die for love. They delight in fighting duels.”**

_But someone else was to meet Brian that night._

**“But I prefer a man who lives . . .”** Brian continued.

_Zidler's investor..._

**“And gives expensive jewels.”**

_The Duke._

**“A kiss on the hand may be quite continental  
but diamonds are a girl's best friend   
A kiss may be grand but it won't pay the rental  
on your humble flat... Or help you feed your cat (meow) pussycat  
Men grow cold as girls grow old,   
and we all lose our charms in the end  
But square cut or pear shaped,   
these rocks don't lose their shapes  
Diamonds are a girl's best friend   
Tiffany!”**


	3. Moulin Rouge

Author’s Note: Should I continue? Please comment! Thank you

* * *

Brian continues his number while making his way around the dance floor. The whole crowd began to join in and take his song to heart, for they are all trying to give him some form of jewelry. In a another booth on the balcony, right next to where Emmett, Justin, Ted, and company are, Vic and Debbie Grassi are speaking to the Duke. His real name was Michael Novotny but everyone calls him the Duke. He was a short and petulant man. He was used to getting his way and it showed in every action and move he made.

“When am I going to meet this man?” The Duke practically hissed at the pair sitting opposite. 

“After his number, I've arranged a special meeting with you and Brian . . . totally alone.” Vic answered reassuringly.

The Duke got a very pleased look on his boyish face and looked over at Brian who was still dancing and flirting with the crowd. As he watched he got what could only be referred to as an evil smirk on his face, it did nothing for his looks.

**“CARTIER!”** Brian sings on in his performance.

At the same time in the booth next door Emmett was speaking to Justin, “After his number, I've arranged a private meeting with just you and Brian totally alone.”

Justin was listening very closely and readying himself for this, his first audition, when that last word Emmett said gave him pause.

“Alone?” Justin squeaked sounding very nervous and a bit afraid.

And though neither of them knew it both Emmett and Vic reassured their companions at the same time with the words

“Totally alone.”

**“'Cause we are living in a material world,  
and I am a material girl!   
Black star, Rozz call,   
talk to me Victor Grassi, tell me all about it!”**

And at that moment Vic excused himself from the evil Duke’s presence and joined Brian in a duet for the rest of the piece.

Brian began the duet, **“There may come a time when a lass needs a lawyer”**

**“But diamonds are a girl's best friend”**

**“There may come a time when a hot-boiled employer think's you're”** Brian bends over imitating an employee fixing something and Vic comes up behind him,

**“Awful nice”** and pretends to squeeze his ass. Brian is feigns being upset.

**“But get that ice or else no dice”**

Back in Emmett’s booth, Emmett is trying to reassure Justin about his meeting with Brian later on, Justin gets up and is about to leave when Emmett puts his hand up and states,

“Don't worry, don't worry, I'll sally forth and get things cleaned up...” Emmett hurries off to go make sure everything is set up with Brian. In his haste though he trips and hit a tray of drinks which fall into none other than the Duke’s lap. Emmett apologizes profusely.

Meanwhile on stage the singing has abated and Brian and Vic are having a hurried conversation while still doing their act.

“Is the Duke here Vic?” Brian asks anxiously.

“Liebchen, would Daddy let you down?” Vic placates. Vic spins around Brian to look over at the Duke and sees the mess Emmett has caused and is trying to fix. He gasps at the thought that this may cause him to lose business.

Back at the Duke’s booth, Emmett took a napkin from the waiter and is trying to clean up the spill a bit. Emmett realizes where he was dabbing at, the groin region, and stops embarrassedly holding the napkin limp. The Duke takes it with barley suppressed rage and mild disgust. 

“Where is he?” Brian asks somewhat desperately.

“He’s the one Toulouse is shaking his hanky at.”

Back to Emmett who has ducked around the corner looking for another hanky to help with clean up. He sees that Justin has one and grabs I from his pocket and shakes it out.

“Excuse me Justin, may I borrow?”

Justin just sits there is shock the whole time not able to form a sentence.

 

In the background the boys continue to sing, **Diamonds are a girl's best, diamonds are a girl's best, diamonds are a girl's best friend...**

When Brian looks over to get a glimpse of the Duke he sees Justin and not the real Duke.

“Are you sure?” Brian asks not sure that this man could be the Duke. The man that he saw was an angel, just sitting there is his suit looking up with the bluest eyes imaginable. Surely there was some mistake, all the guys that were rich and sleezy enough to come to the Moulin Rouge looked the part, this angelic man looked so out of place.

During Brian’s thoughts Emmett has now moved back to the Duke with Justin’s hanky and is still trying to clear the spill while the Duke bats him away with his arms like a petulant child.

“I’m ever so sorry. Ooh, how embarrassing...” Emmett intones. 

“Let me peek...” Vic says and looks around Brian to see Emmett still with the Duke.

“That's the one chickpea.” Then under his breathe says, “I hope that daemonic loon hasn't frightened him off...”

Emmett has finally gotten pissed off and snarls at the Duke, ‘Clean yourself off you bourgeois pig!!”

Emmett begins to walk away but the Duke’s man servant, who has been lurking in the corner this whole time, cuts him off and reveals that he has a gun and is wiling to use it, Emmett back pedals carefully, “Ohh very sorry....” And he hurries off to accomplish his task of make sure things are set up.

On the stage the queens have made a circle with their dresses by holding the ends up, and Brian and Vic disappear into this circle for a quick costume change. While changing they continue their conversation.

“Will he invest?” Brian inquires worriedly.

“Pigeon, after spending the night with you, how can he refuse?”

“What’s his type? Wilting flower? Bright and bubbly or smoldering temptress?” As Brian says each type it’s punctuated by and action, he bows his head submissively for the first, then sort of acts like he’s drunk and really happy, and the last he uses his most sultry voice and throws is a growl at the end.

“I’d say smoldering temptress. We're all relying on you, Gosling... Remember - a real show, with a real theater, with a real audience. And you'll be…”

“A real actor...” Brian finishes. He looks forlorn for a moment then puts the fake smile back on and pops out of the makeshift dressing room to finish the number.

**“‘Cause that's when those louses go back to their spouses.”**

Brian is lifted into the crowd and they carry him in the direction of Justin.

**“Diamonds are a girl's best friend!”**

When Brian is set down in front of the other man he once again uses his sultry voice to say, “I believe you were expecting me.”

“Yes, yes.” Is all Justin can manage as he is so enwrapped in the beautiful creature before him.

Brian then address the crowd that brought him here and declares, “I'm afraid it's gentlemen’s choice.” He then points at Justin indicating his choice. Justin who is by now still in shock and very confused doesn’t budge. He finally realizes something important was said but he has no idea what is was and looks around the table for help. Ben and Hunter smile encouragingly and Ted pats him awkwardly on the back.

Brian puts on the act of being hurt, pouting and whining. The crowd eats it up and they begin to chant Brian’s name. As Brian revels in the attention Emmett comes up to him.

“I see you've already met my English friend.”

 

“I'll take care of it Emmett. Let's dance!” Brian pulls Justin off to the dance floor as Emmett says, “Hit him with your most modern poem.”

On the dance floor Brian begins the dance without Justin who is momentarily distracted by the way Brian’s body moves, he eventually joins in and it’s obvious that he’s a great dancer.

Meanwhile back in the booth…

All the Bohemians lean forward to talk, Ben says, “That seemed to go well”

“Incredible” Pipes Hunter giving Ben a smile.

“He has a gift with the men” Ted says. Ted tries to sound impressed and he is but he is more jealous by Justin’s blatant reaction to meeting Brian.

“I told you, he's a Genius!” Emmett states superiorly.

Debbie who is now behind stage with Vic peeks through the door to watch the scene and she adds her two cents, “That Duke certainly can dance!”

While dancing Brian decides to butter the Duke up a little to see where he stands, “So wonderful of you to take an interest in our little show.”

“Sounds very exciting, I'd be delighted to be involved.” Justin says loudly, overcompensating for the noise in the room.

“Really?” Brian exclaims, surprised that the Duke was so easy to convince. They hadn’t even had sex yet.

“Assuming you like what I do of course.” Justin continues, thinking that he’s gonna screw the whole audition up due to his lack of concentration ever since he first saw Brian.

“I'm sure I will.” Brian says in disbelief at the frankness of the comment, which he takes to mean sexually.

“Emmett thought we might be able to um... do it in private.” Justin says, excited but also scared to be alone with Brian.

“Did he?” Brian teases.

Justin taking him seriously says, “Yes, you know, a private... poetry reading.” The last words betray Justin’s nervousness.

“Oh... hmm... a poetry reading? Oooh, I love a little poetry after supper!” Brian teases again.

They continue to dance for a while and then when the song ends Brian warns Justin, “Hang on to your hat!” And he kicks high and would have knocked Justin’s hat off had he not been holding it. Others must not have been warned because soon hats rained form the sky.

Brian quickly leaves to make his grand exit on the swing he entered from.

Vic is now out conducting the band fervently while Brian sings,

**“Diamonds... Diamonds... Square-cut or pear-shaped, these rocks won’t loose their shape. Diamonds are a girls best…** And as Brian takes a deep breathe to finish the song, no air will get through and he gasps. He starts getting dizzy and feels himself losing consciousness. He sways precariously on the swing which is now over fifty feet in the air. As the music crescendos, everything turns black and Brian falls.


End file.
